My Week in Numbers
It was a doozy.
100
Days since I last drank alcohol.
This week, I’m drinking this excellently hazy NA IPA and (occasionally) this actually delicious, gently buzzy THC-infused soda by oHHo.
23
One-star reviews of Sandwich on Goodreads.
There are so many great lines, it’s hard to pick a favorite. Maybe this? “Can’t relate, except for the love of lemon-lime seltzer.” Or this hot take? “Middle class menopausal woman who has regrets.” Or this pearl clutching? “I found the language of the author’s character to be so distasteful and crude throughout the book. All she talks about is food and vulgar words for sex and genitalia.” TATTOOING THAT ONTO MY PUSSY LIPS AS SOON AS I FINISH LUNCH.
13
Sandwich's debut on the New York Times bestseller list.
8
Sandwich on the indie bestseller list.
7
Minutes I got to talk to Danielle Kurtzleben on NPR.
6
Supreme court justices who ruled in favor of Trump’s immunity.
This morning my eye doctor’s office tried to schedule an appointment in March, and I was like, Sure, if you think we’ll still be alive then, totally. Ha ha ha. Let’s definitely do this again in March! Yes, go ahead. Write it down for me on that little card. Ha ha ha. No, I’m fine.
5
Number of times I choked at the movies from inadvertently inhaling the nutritional yeast off of my popcorn.
We call this particular ailment nooch lung, and it is always worth it. One-word movie reviews: Janet Planet: Yes. Kinds of Kindness: No (though we sure talked about it walking home).
4
Times I have watched the Chappell Roan Tiny Desk Concert.
Her whole lipstick-on-the-teeth Hairspray style of drag, while she sings the most achingly vulnerable songs? Gobsmacking.
2
Cans of chickpeas.
Which you’ll need to make Emily Nunn’s perfectly delicious and dead-easy salad.
I trust you already know
from her outrageously tempting and wildly popular newsletter, . Emily’s recipes are utterly fresh and restorative, which I know you’re needing this week. (Make her quick-pickled fennel and know you’re alive.) So, yeah, this is AS FESTIVE AS WE’RE GETTING FOR THE FOURTH, and it’s chickpeas, our favorite little legume, which Emily herself has written about extensively.
Over email, Emily wrote, “There's a canned chickpea salad I ate almost every day in the early days of the pandemic before I finally started a newsletter.” And it’s this. It’s so good: earthy and herby and tangy; tender and crunchy and juicy. And it’s nearly instant. I promised her I’d cook the chickpeas fresh? And I did. And they were delicious. But if I hadn’t, I’d have just used 2 cans. I did make the optional vinaigrette because I would never skip an opportunity to bathe my every last cell in olive oil. I also made the salad again and added feta and had zero regrets.
Emily Nunn’s Everyday Chickpea Salad
Since I seem to have been disparaging the typical American chickpea salad earlier, I should say that I have one that I’ve been eating for years, which we bragged about in an earlier issue, as the kind of desk lunch you can make quickly. Not only is it not a “sad desk lunch” (there’s a hashtag for this), it is also satisfying and delicious. Plus, it won’t put you to sleep.
Serves 2 as lunch but I usually eat the entire thing myself
2 cups cooked chickpeas, at room temperature
1 large English cucumber, peeled (or not), seeded, and chopped into 1⁄2-inch pieces [CN: I used 4 Persian cukes]
1 pint or more small (cherry/grape) tomatoes cut in half or quartered depending on size [CN: I used diced kumatos]
2 tablespoons (or more) finely chopped red onion [CN: I used a shallot]
Nice big handful of basil and/or mint, chopped or sliced thinly; or whatever other herbs you desire
Flaky sea salt
You can serve this on some greens or do what I do and eat it straight out of the bowl. Simply dress it all with a splash of sherry vinegar—it really doesn’t need olive oil! I usually add vinegar, some salt, taste and adjust. But if you require a dressing, use this one, which is in regular rotation around here:
DOS Garlic Sherry Vinaigrette
1 large clove garlic, grated
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1⁄2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
Place all the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake until well emulsified. Adjust seasonings to suit your taste.
Thank you, Emily!
xo
987: Number of holds on Sandwich in our library network (not including eBooks, eAudiobooks, and Large Print)!
I LOVED reading Sandwich!! Sat down for an hour and had finished it by the next morning. Funny, poignant, relatable and beautifully written. I truly did laugh out loud at times and wiped tears away at other times. Bravo! : )